Archive for July, 2023

What Is an ADA-Compliant Website and How Can You Build One?

The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act. It protects people with disabilities from discrimination in their daily lives. It covers the workplace, education, transport, and any space that’s open to the public.

But the act also extends to electronic and information technology, including websites.

In short, having an ADA-compliant website is a legal requirement, but it also makes commercial sense.

The digital transformation of our lives means that businesses and organizations can’t afford to leave anyone behind. Access to the online world is a necessity rather than a choice, and putting up barriers to disabled citizens is not only morally and legally wrong but it’s also bad business.

So, what challenges do disabled people face when interacting with a website?

Challenges for disabled users

If you think of your website as a physical space, like a shop, you would never give your customers a door that was difficult to open. The virtual doorway to your business needs to swing freely open for everyone. From the landing page to your order management system software, you need to think about every aspect of your website from the point of view of disabled users.

You might want to carry out a full IT compliance audit checklist to see how your site rates and identify areas for improvement. It will give you a starting point from which to measure your progress as you make your site more accessible.

There are four basic areas of disability that can impact a website user: physical, cognitive, auditory (including speech), and visual. Let’s look at them one by one.

Physical

Suppose your website has complex click interactions or doesn’t have full keyboard support. In that case, you could be making life difficult for people with various physical disabilities, ranging from paralysis and chronic diseases like arthritis to a person with missing limbs.

People with these types of physical disabilities often interact with technology using head pointers, mouth sticks, joysticks, on-screen keyboards, or hands-free software, like voice recognition.

Cognitive

Cognitive disabilities are behavioral and neurological conditions including ADHD, autism, MS, and epilepsy, as well as learning difficulties, such as dyslexia.

People who have cognitive disabilities can find websites that have flashing, blinking content and sound that can’t be turned off particularly challenging. They need clear, uncluttered navigation and text that can be easily enlarged. Text-to-speech software can also be a great help.

Auditory

Hearing loss or deafness means that, although a site’s visuals might be fully accessible, any audio or video content needs to be carefully considered.

If videos or audio elements can’t be paused and don’t have adjustable volume, this can be a real obstacle. Likewise, videos that don’t have clear and legible subtitles and captions, background music, and unnecessary sound effects are also a barrier.

Speech

Speech impairment also needs to be considered. Many businesses only have a phone number as a contact or use some element of speech recognition. This is where machine intelligence solutions could really make a difference.

Visual

This disability probably represents the biggest challenge when it comes to using a website. It can mean a person is blind or, to some degree, partially sighted. People with visual disabilities need to zoom in and enlarge text. They also use braille readers or screen readers that say content aloud. Websites that don’t work with these functions or lack keyboard support can completely shut the visually impaired out.

Design is key

So, how can website design help people with disabilities? Some fixes can be simple or inexpensive, like making sure your website layout is clear, but there are other possibilities, such as a quality risk assessment matrix to better assess compliance or looking at your training strategy when it comes to your IT department. Here are some practical tips for making your website ADA compliant.

Photo by Cliff Booth

1. Layout: present information in a clear and logical order. Avoid too many choices or confusing choices. Make sure the same information isn’t repeated or hidden in different locations. Make sure the menu is easily visible or audible.

2. Text and font: choose a clear and suitable text size and font.

3. Color: use color well. Don’t have the website too monochrome, but avoid too many colors or combinations that colorblind people have difficulty with.                          

4. Actions: make all actions definite and precise. Use phrases such as “Book Here” rather than “Click Here” without specifying what will happen when the client presses click. Avoid users having to hover over buttons or elements to make them work.

5. Errors: have a clear and helpful error message if something goes wrong. Make sure the message offers advice on addressing the issue, and make sure these are audible and easy to read.

6. Headings: format headings properly. This can really help users, as screen readers recognize the various levels of headings.

7. Alt tags: these will allow users to read and hear descriptions of video and audio content. This function also helps with SEO, but make sure descriptions are clear and accurate.

8. Keyboard: ensure the site is accessible to users who can only interact through a keyboard. Try this out yourself. Make sure the tab order is logical and intuitive.

9. Transcriptions: make sure you have transcriptions of videos and audio content. Make these separate and in addition to captions and subtitles. Some users like to read through or listen again to content without images or sound to interfere with their concentration. 

10. Test: last of all, walk through the whole website yourself, try it out in different modes, and put yourself in a disabled user’s shoes. Don’t be afraid to get feedback from disabled users themselves. There’s no point in making changes if you don’t get them right.

The benefits

Having an accessible website that’s ADA-compliant means you’re open for business to the entire population. You’ll bring in customers and clients from every section of society, building a brand image that’s inclusive and welcoming. As part of your IT business continuity plan making sure you’re keeping up with your legal and customer care-based duties is a must.

But you’re not only making sure you avoid costly legal issues and fines and gaining customers, but you’re also empowering people to live full, independent lives and make their own choices without assistance. This alone is surely enough of a reason to make simple changes and get your website ADA-compliant.

Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels

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Leveraging ChatGPT for hiring: Everything you should know

Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the way of life. According to research, 50% of the companies surveyed said they use ChatGPT. One area where AI has made strides is the hiring process. 

Machine-driven workforce management is rising, with artificial intelligence at its core. We are used to interviews in person or via video link. But with chatbots like ChatGPT, HR managers can use AI-powered chatbots and potential candidates – an AI resume builder that can help streamline the recruitment process. In this article, we will look at how to use ChatGPT for recruitment.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s OpenAI. It is based on the large GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) language model. It is trained on huge amounts of data, so it is able to independently analyze the received requests from users and respond to them. The AI-powered chatbot is based on neural networks, software structures that mimic the structure of the human brain. The neural network can learn, so it can solve even complex problems. Specifically, ChatGPT is a multifunctional neural network. Hiring managers can use ChatGPT as a virtual assistant. With it, they can conduct interviews, screen candidates, and provide personalized feedback. ChatGPT understands and can answer questions thanks to its natural language processing capabilities. This makes it an ideal tool for interacting with job seekers.

Benefits of Using AI in Recruiting

For recruiting, ChatGPT is an innovative tool. It brings many benefits to the candidate selection process. HR managers can facilitate and automate many tasks, reduce time, and improve selection efficiency with the help of artificial intelligence. Here are some of the critical benefits ChatGPT brings to hiring teams:

Automation of tasks for recruitment

ChatGPT can help automate hiring, specifically writing job descriptions, screening applicants, asking them questions, and evaluating their responses. Research has shown that many companies use ChatGPT to facilitate recruitment. 77% say it helps them write job descriptions, 66% write interview applications, and 65% respond to candidates.

AI efficiently predicts market trends. If you need to research the market in a particular area, you do not have to spend a lot of time on it. AI will collect the essential aspects and summarize the results. 

This saves recruiters time and can speed up the selection process. ChatGPT can also help answer candidates’ questions before submitting their CVs. This ensures that potential employees get answers easily and on time.

Best candidate and customer experience

To meet the needs of clients and candidates, it is crucial to provide feedback constantly. Hiring managers only sometimes have enough time to respond to all inquiries and emails from new candidates and clients promptly. 

With ChatGPT, recruiters can quickly compose response messages and personalized emails. AI can also have conversations with candidates, which can benefit an engaging and personalized experience. Studies have shown that 57% of companies use ChatGPT for customer support and 52% for creating meeting summaries or documents. ChatGPT can ask candidates about experience and skills, asking leading questions and even giving them helpful advice. 

Most importantly, AI is not biased by the gender, race, or other personal characteristics of candidates and clients. This contributes to a more objective and fair selection process for future employees.

Hiring teams with more time, efficiency, and productivity

Using ChatGPT in recruiting allows HR managers to free up more time, increase efficiency, reduce burnout, and improve productivity. For example, administrative tasks such as candidate screening and communication flows can be very time-consuming. 

Because ChatGPT is scalable, it allows it to screen numerous candidates simultaneously, reducing the workload for recruiters. As a result, HR managers can process large volumes of job applications and reduce the time and energy spent on each candidate. 

With AI, recruiters can focus on other work tasks, such as interviewing already selected candidates, analyzing data, and making final decisions, resulting in greater productivity and the right work-life balance

Restrictions on using ChatGPT for hire

If you want to use AI for your recruitment process, you must be aware of certain restrictions and possible problems. This is necessary to ensure fairness, reasonableness, and compliance with the law.

  • Ethical points. Despite all of the above advantages, ChatGPT can still potentially retain discrimination and bias. Because the AI learns from existing data, which can contain biases, ChatGPT can inadvertently replicate it. This can lead to unfair treatment of candidates.
  • Accuracy and reliability of responses. While ChatGPT is a robust language model, the accuracy of its responses may vary. Hiring managers must ensure that the information provided to candidates is accurate. Inaccuracy in the answers may lead to incorrect conclusions about the candidate.
  • Legal Compliance. During the recruitment process, HR managers must strictly follow the legal requirements, which include the law on equal employment opportunities, non-discrimination policies, and data privacy regulations. Recruiters must ensure that using ChatGPT does not violate any legal obligations.
  • Human factor. Artificial intelligence can only partially replace human experience and judgment in recruitment. It is critical that hiring managers evaluate candidates holistically when making their final decision, taking into account factors that ChatGPT needs to fully understand. These may be factors such as cultural fit or emotional intelligence.

To ensure fairness in the recruitment process, the use of ChatGPT should be approached with caution. It is imperative to combine artificial intelligence technologies with human experience.

How to use ChatGPT to optimize the recruiting process?

In order to improve the quality of the recruitment process with ChatGPT, recruiters need to use a thoughtful approach. Here are some ways to use ChatGPT effectively:

  1. Initial selection of candidates. Artificial intelligence can help national managers automate the initial screening of candidates. ChatGPT can ask them specific questions or do a preliminary assessment. This will help recruiters focus on more qualified candidates.
  2. Individual interaction. If programmed correctly, ChatGPT can interact with candidates on a one-to-one level, answering frequently asked questions, for example, about top web3 jobs, their requirements, the company, or the benefits of the position. This can increase candidate engagement.
  3. Assessment of candidate skills. Artificial intelligence can generate customized questions to assess candidates’ knowledge, critical thinking skills, their ability to solve work problems and rate competencies for the role.
  4. Selection and comparison of candidates. ChatGPT can generate a pre-qualification score for job candidates by analyzing their profiles. In this way, AI can highlight potential matches or problem areas.
  5. Communication optimization. ChatGPT can make it easier to communicate with candidates by scheduling interviews, sending automated emails, or providing candidates with information updates.

Recruiters can easily streamline their hiring process by leveraging all of ChatGPT’s features in an additional way. This will increase efficiency and provide a positive candidate experience while maintaining important human interaction.

Conclusion

The Microsoft Work Trend Index annual report says that 86% of people said they are looking for AI to help them find the information they need. Also, 70% of people suggested delegating as much work to AI as possible to reduce their workloads. 

ChatGPT is a valuable tool that can enhance the human experience, simplifying the process of hiring new employees and improving overall performance. Using artificial intelligence to recruit recruiters can save a lot of time, increase scalability, and provide a personalized experience for each candidate. However, it is essential to recognize issues such as limited understanding of the context or unintentional pre-programmed bias. By following best practices and full human oversight, companies can leverage the power of ChatGPT effectively and profitably.

Featured image by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

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Strategies And Best Practices For Successful Mobile Testing

With the accelerating growth of mobile applications, it is critical to ensure that they’re reliable and function efficiently.

Mobile testing is of the utmost importance for providing flawless user experiences, increasing customer happiness, and preserving the reputation of mobile apps. That being said, mobile testing has its own set of limitations and considerations. In this article, we’ll look at tactics and best practices for conducting successful mobile testing.

Device Testing On A Variety Of Platforms

The enormous number of devices and operating systems available on the market is one of the key problems in mobile testing. To provide complete coverage, mobile apps must be tested on a wide range of platforms, operating systems, and screen sizes. Prioritize testing on major devices and platforms that your intended audience is likely to utilize. To strike an equilibrium between cost-effectiveness and real-world testing, use both actual devices and emulators/simulators.

Efficient And Repetitive Testing Using Test Automation

Test automation is an essential component of effective mobile testing. Automating repetitious test cases increases productivity, eliminates human error, and allows for more frequent testing. Choose appropriate automation technologies for mobile app testing across many platforms. To maintain consistent quality throughout the development process, automate test cases for essential functions, device compatibility, and regression testing, this assures end to end testing.

Real-World Simulations Of Network Conditions

Because mobile apps largely rely on access to networks, network conditions are a key component of testing. To evaluate app performance under various situations, simulate several network scenarios such as 3G, 4G, wireless networking, and poor connectivity. To ensure the app performs properly and delivers a seamless user experience across varied network conditions, test for situations such as network switching disrupted connections, and limited bandwidth.

Optimizing Speed And Efficiency Through Performance Testing

To assess the speed, responsiveness, and efficiency of mobile applications, performance testing is essential. App performance should be tested under various loads, including both typical and peak usage conditions. Determine bottlenecks and enhance app performance by measuring reaction times, resource utilization, and battery consumption. Use performance testing tools to simulate different user loads and examine the app’s behavior under pressure.

Enhancing User Experience Through Usability Testing

The usability of a mobile app is vital to its success. Usability testing should be performed to assess the app’s intuitiveness, simplicity of navigation, and overall user experience. Collect user input to identify pain spots, usability difficulties, and areas for improvement. Include user input in the testing procedure in order to verify that the app satisfies consumer demands and delivers a smooth and engaging experience.

User Data Protection Through Security Testing

Because mobile apps frequently handle confidential information about users, security testing is essential. Perform thorough security testing to uncover risks, encryption flaws, and potential data breaches. Test authentication systems, data storage security, and network data transfer security. Use security testing tools and techniques to replicate attacks and assure the security of user data.

Meeting Global Needs Through Localization And Internationalization

If your mobile app is intended for a worldwide audience, you must do localization and internationalization testing. To guarantee appropriate representation and operation across varied locations, test the app in a variety of languages, character sets, as well as date/time formats. Check the app’s compatibility with various language options, cultural values, and local laws. Consider localized information, pictures, and user interface components when designing an immersive experience for people all over the world.

Agile Practices And Continuous Testing Through Rapid Iterations

It is critical for effective mobile testing to use continual testing procedures within a rapid development framework. Integrate testing throughout all stages of the development cycle to enable quick iterations and ongoing feedback. For streamlined and hassle-free development and testing cycles, run frequent test cycles, automate test scripts, and further incorporate testing into the CI/CD pipeline.

Real-World Insights From User Feedback And Beta Testing

Utilize user feedback and beta testing to gain real-world insights into the app’s efficiency, accessibility, and satisfaction. Empower users to offer feedback, report issues, and make suggestions for changes. Use beta testing platforms to provide pre-release copies of the program to a small number of users for extensive testing and feedback.

Bottom Line 

Successful mobile testing demands a well-defined plan as well as adherence to best practices. Mobile app development teams can produce high-quality, dependable, and easy-to-use mobile applications in an ever-changing and highly competitive marketplace by ensuring device coverage, utilizing test automation, taking into account network conditions, prioritizing performance and usability testing, executing security testing, tackling localization needs, implementing agile practices, and embracing user feedback.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

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How to Optimize Your Website for Voice Search: Best Practices and Tools

Do you think optimizing your website for text search is enough to cater to voice searchers? 

If so, you’re in for a big surprise. 

Not only does text search function differently, but voice search users also perform queries on a variety of devices and for different reasons than when they search using text. 

What’s more, many users depend on voice search to conduct their queries more than text. In fact, 50% of the US population uses voice search features daily.

If you’re ready to account for voice search when optimizing your website, stick around to learn more about how it works and five best practices you can implement right away.

Aren’t voice search queries the same as text search queries? 

Nope. 

Voice search isn’t the same as text search. When a user searches for something using their voice, they speak to their devices in a conversational tone, closer to how we speak in real life. 

This means SEOs and marketers need to infuse conversational keywords into their websites to account for voice searches. More on this in a bit.

Is it easy to rank for voice search? 

Also no.

It’s not easy to rank for voice search, mostly because devices that allow voice search typically list one to three results for any given query. In other words, to land one of those top spots, you have to ensure your content is primed for voice SEO. 

While we’ll share some effective tips in this guide, don’t be afraid to reach out to an SEO strategist for additional support. They can audit your website to ensure you’re including the best tactics to cater to voice searchers.

What is voice search? 

Voice search means using your voice to search for something on Google or another search engine instead of typing your query directly into the engine. If you’ve ever used Alexa, Siri, or the Google Voice search on Android to look something up, you’ve completed a voice search!

The technical explanation? Voice search helps you search the internet through speech. Devices can recognize your voice via artificial intelligence (AI) and place the query into a search engine. From there, you’ll get one to three results depending on the device you’re using.

How do people use voice search? 

People use voice search differently depending on the device they’re searching on. 

For instance, voice searchers in need of a quick answer to an immediate problem, such as where to eat or how to change a tire, typically ask their smartphones. 

Whereas people at home who use smart speakers perform larger, more in-depth searches. This may include asking the smart speaker to play a song, shop for a product, or answer a trivia question.

Smart speakers statistic infographic.

Image Source

Then you have car speakers. With car speakers, voice search users typically ask about directions, local-based searches (such as the best store or restaurant in town), and addresses. 

Here’s a list of common voice search devices and the search engines they use:

  • Amazon Echo/Alexa: Bing
  • Google Home: Google
  • iPhone/Siri: Safari
  • Android phones and devices: Google
  • Google Assistant: Google
  • Microsoft Cortana: Bing

What is voice search optimization? 

Voice search optimization means applying SEO strategies to improve your site’s chance of appearing in voice search results. 

Your goal is to get your website in the “hands” of voice search technologies and virtual assistants so they can present it to voice search users with relevant queries. We’ll share five simple strategies you can use to optimize your site for voice search in the next section. 

5 simple ways to optimize your website for voice search 

And without further ado, here are some practices you can put in place to get your website voice-search-ready:

1. Focus on conversational keywords 

Here’s where text and voice searchers really behave differently. 

Text searchers use short and sweet queries, while voice searchers use full phrases and questions. 

For instance, if someone’s on the hunt for SaaS lead generation strategies and they’re performing a voice search, they may ask something like: “Hey Siri, please help me find some lead generation tactics for SaaS companies”. 

Whereas if they’re conducting a text query, they’ll usually stick with short and sweet phrases like “lead generation for SaaS” or “SaaS lead gen advice”. 

In other words, to rank for voice search, it’s pivotal to infuse language in your content that’s used in conversations between real humans — aka conversational language. 

Here are some quick ways you can pull conversational keywords:

  • Use a keyword-finding tool, such as WebCEO’s Keyword Suggestions to hunt for conversational phrases (these begin with question words, i.e., “who”, “what”, etc.)
  • Look for questions related to your niche inside of popular forums (simply examine the thread titles) — check out Quora and Reddit
  • Examine the “People Also Ask” and Google’s autocomplete suggestions for common questions
The People Also Ask section on Google.

Image Source

Once you’ve pulled your conversational keywords, use them naturally and relevantly throughout your site. You’ll also need to create content around them beyond just using them in your on-page copy. 

This may include content, such as: 

  • Blog posts 
  • Guides — think product comparisons, in-depth reviews, and ultimate guides on specific topics
  • Case studies 
  • An FAQ section 
  • A Help Center or Knowledge Base 
  • Informational videos 

2. Optimize for local search 

If you run a brick-and-mortar business or offer products and services to local customers, you can’t forget to optimize for local search. In fact, 16% of consumers mainly use voice search to perform local “near me” searches.

To optimize for local search, you need to create content that:

  • Is relevant to your local area 
  • Consistently tells people you’re a local business
  • Integrates local keywords 

Use a tool like Ubersuggest to grab local keywords and questions. These might include local landmarks near you as well as words and questions people use to describe the community you’re in. 

Another crucial strategy is including “near me” in your anchor text, titles, internal links, and metadata. This caters to voice searchers who ask their devices for help locating a particular store near where they are. Again, if you’re local, we can’t stress how important it is not to skip out on this easy-to-grab, low-hanging fruit!

3. Aim to capture Google-featured snippets 

Google displays its featured snippets at the top (or top right) of the results page, typically above the organic search results. These might appear as bulleted lists, paragraphs, numbered lists, or something else, like a text definition box. 

Example of a Google-featured snippet.

Image Source

If a featured snippet exists for a query, a virtual assistant will typically read it as the answer to the voice searcher’s question. But, to win over the query, you have to use some muscle to try to capture the featured snippet. 

While there’s no guarantee your content will be featured, here are some simple tips you can implement to increase your chances: 

  • Keep answers to common questions and queries between 54–58 words long
  • Use headings and paragraph tags to organize your page structure 
  • Include steps and instructions to help searchers solve their problems 
  • Always target question-based queries in your content
  • Take a definition-style approach when applicable 

4. Make sure your site is fast, optimized for mobile, and clearly portrays what you do

Optimize your site for mobile first and make sure it can pass a website speed performance test

Include media, such as images, charts, illustrations, and videos to help your audience digest what you do and who you help. This is especially important if you sell a complex product or service or if you sell something that needs a demonstration, such as software.

For instance, if you sell an AI text-to-speech tool, consider using a video presentation maker to craft an explainer video about who your tool helps and the problems it solves. This can help voice searchers quickly grasp how it works and where they can apply it at their jobs or in their personal lives. 

Pro-Tip: To account for the hearing impaired or for people who may be viewing your videos at work or without sound, consider using an AI subtitle generator to auto-populate captions in your videos.

5. Use schema markup 

Ask your website developer to add schema markup to your website’s HTML to help search engines provide more detailed results. 

This includes key business information, such as your:

  • Address 
  • Contact information 
  • Hours of operation 
  • Pricing 
  • Reviews 

While schema markup is invisible to human visitors, indexing bots use it to better understand your content. This can improve your visibility in text search results and voice search results as search engines will consider your site more relevant.

Wrap up 

And there you have it!

Today we answered some common questions about voice search and shared five best practices you can use to optimize your site for voice. 

Are you ready to cater to voice searchers and improve your site’s visibility? Save this article for reference and begin putting these insights into action. 

That’s it, for now, marketers. 

To your success!

Featured Image by Sayan Majhi on Unsplash

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8 Signs of a Professional Freelance Social Media Marketer

Over the past decade, attitudes toward social networks have changed dramatically. Now it is not just a means for friendly communication and acquaintances, but also one of the channels for attracting customers and developing business. But this statement is relevant only when a professional SMM specialist works in the team. Below are a few key criteria that distinguish such a professional. It will be useful for both specialists and companies to get acquainted with them. For the former, this will provide an opportunity to test themselves for compliance with the main requirements of the industry, and for the latter – to find out the criteria for hiring such a professional. Let’s start.

1. Ability to create interesting and engaging content

If this skill is there, then all other abilities will be much easier to train when it comes to a beginner. Probably, many can remember from their environment at least one person who knows how to tell exciting stories, thereby keeping people’s attention. Such talent is also needed for an SMM specialist. Internet users are now overloaded with information from different angles, which makes attention scattered. To focus on one thing, it must be really engaging content that can attract an audience.

2. Competent oral and written speech

Literacy is not the same as being able to write and tell interesting things. If the first talent mentioned above may be natural, then the second one needs to be trained. It complements the ability to be an interesting conversationalist. Even if the content has interesting storylines and tells people exciting stories about the brand, this is not enough for the company to be truly respected and considered respectable. Errors in texts or the construction of sentences in oral speech are what you need to work on if there is such a problem.

3. Ability to plan

Companies whose content is chaotic usually do not achieve great success in their activities. They try to communicate with their audience about everything at once. As a result, there is no emphasis on specific products and services that should first attract potential customers. It is also important that before advertising a product, you always first need to talk in detail about it. This is the so-called acquaintance. If a person begins to obsessively offer something that he does not even know about, the effect will be the opposite. He does not want to deal with such a company. Perhaps even cease to be a subscriber to her page on the social network.

In order for the content to really do its job, the social media specialist must develop an effective content plan. This does not mean that he should ignore other informational occasions or be inflexible. It’s just that in this case, it is significant that the plan sets a logical sequence of presentation. And if, between planned texts and videos, you periodically highlight the company’s reaction to current events, this makes the content on the page more natural and dynamic but does not allow you to plunge into chaos.

For those looking for effective planning tools, Freelancer Planner is the way to go. So the specialist will always have at hand the necessary records that you can focus on.

4. Ability to analyze

Analytical thinking is a soft skill that an SMM specialist cannot do without. This skill is needed in several aspects at once, including:

  • Ability to track trends in your industry. This area is very dynamic. To ensure the prosperity of the client company through well-built content, you need to constantly update it, making it interesting for people.
  • Ability to analyze competitors. This is not to mindlessly copy other people’s strategies. With this method of action, it would be impossible to build your own recognizable style of presenting information on social networks. This skill must be used wisely. When an SMM specialist analyzes the successful strategies of competing companies, this makes it possible to understand which tools work well. Synthesizing such information from different sources, you can develop your own strategy, which will consist of different work items.

Analytical thinking makes the SMM specialist more successful. It allows you to understand the surrounding context and develop relevant strategies for the development of the company using social networks.

5. Empathy

An SMM specialist often stays behind the scenes and does not contact people directly. But how he leads the page depends on their good attitude towards the brand. To win the attention and then the trust of the audience, you need to understand their needs, interests, and pains. People feel good when they are treated formally or insincerely. The content strategy clearly shows how much the SMM specialist likes his work and how he relates to the audience. A person who simply performs duties without desire and inspiration will not be able to build effective communication and achieve customer loyalty.

6. Multitasking

The ability to plan content in advance, make publications on time, communicate with the audience in real-time, and analyze the feedback received are the key tasks that should always be the focus of attention of the manager responsible for the direction of SMM. There are no trifles or anything secondary in this work. Everything that has been named is equally significant.

7. Ability to learn on the job

The dynamics of the work of an SMM specialist require him to be able to constantly learn. In this area, it is impossible to predict everything in advance. It is necessary to be able to quickly navigate unforeseen situations, respond to current information occasions, and communicate with company customers who will not always be in a good mood. To do this, you need to have a developed skill of reflection, and a meaningful approach to various situations, not to get lost in them. When a specialist learns to treat his activity in this way, he quickly gains experience, trains to rely on his strength, and not be afraid of new professional challenges.

8. Creativity

SMM is a direction in which you can unleash your creative potential. This is an interesting job with which you will not be bored. The main thing is to correctly adapt your creative skills to a specific content strategy that will work for the client company.

Conclusions

The work of an SMM specialist is considered one of the most sought-after freelance jobs. And if you look at the general statistics for various specialties, then the annual earnings of freelancers are 1.3 trillion dollars in the United States. This figure is clear evidence that the sphere will continue to develop. It has many prospects – both for specialists and for companies that are looking for them.

Featured Image by Adem AY on Unsplash

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